Solar PV providing 20% of electricity demand for Scottish Water treatment plant

A Scottish Water treatment works at Skellyton, Larkhall, is partially self-generating its energy needs via an array of 560 solar PV panels.

With an annual generation capacity of around 150MW, the solar array that is now online can produce 20% of the electricity required to maintain the water treatment site, while 12% of the generated electricity will feedinto the grid.

The array has been installed by Scottish-based Absolute Solar and Wind within the boundaries of the existing works.

“We are now generating the same amount of energy needed to boil a kettle 1.5 million times or watch a million hours of television. The new installation will help us achieve a cut in carbon dioxide emissions associated with Skellyton by over 20 tonnes a year and sets us on the path to energy self-sufficiency,” said Stevie Heatley, team leader at the Local Waste Water Treatment Works.

“This project is the latest in a long list of renewables schemes already installed at many treatment works and other Scottish Water assets across Scotland,” said Ian Piggott, senior project manager at Scottish Water Horizons.

Scottish Water has been exploring solar at various sites in a bid to reduce its carbon footprint. In March 2021, the utility unveiled its “most ambitious solar energy scheme to date” at its Balmore water treatment works in Torrance, East Dunbartonshire.

The solar installation was expected to generate 4GWh per year and received a £3 million investment via the utility’s commercial subsidiary Scottish Water Horizons. The project saw 8,620 ground-mounted PV panels with a capacity of approximately 5MW installed at the energy intensive site.